is where Epicurious dishes on cooking for families and kids. This article is the second in a four-part series about teaching your kids to make their own lunch. , , and .
Youâve got the chart on your fridge
Planning the Week
Before you go grocery shopping, discuss the possibilities with your kids and decide on an anchor dish that you can make ahead and they can experiment with throughout the week, like a pot of plain noodles. Does one of your kids have a passion for pesto? Either pick up the ingredients for this super-easy versionthis kid-friendly recipesuper-simple lemon vinaigrette
Pre-Cooking in Action
If youâve never cooked with your kids before, the pesto and peanut sauce I mentioned above make perfect launching padsâneither one even require the use of a knife. On Sunday, bust out the measuring spoons and cups, and demo how to measure accurately. (Pro tip: if youâre making the peanut sauce, spritz the measuring cup with nonstick spray before adding the peanut butter, and itâll slide right out.) Once youâve measured the first ingredient, hand over the tools and let your kid do the rest. And just like that, theyâre learning to cook! Let them help you prepare the noodles tooâthat big pot of boiling water might be a bit much for them to drain on their own, but they can learn how the stove works, how to stir safely, and how to tell when the pastaâs ready.
To Pre-Pack, or Not to Pre-Pack
Hereâs where your familyâs (and even your individual kidsâ) preferences really come into play. If youâre super-organized and have the time on Sundaysâplus ample storage containersâyou can pre-portion the weekâs lunch items. Have your kids scoop half-cups of pasta into individual containers (they can toss it with a bit of olive oil first, to keep it from sticking). Help them trim carrots or sugar snap peas, and pack several servings. On the other hand, if youâre a bit more on the frazzled side (like me), you might prefer having your kids prep lunch daily. Do this the night before, because morning-of prepping and packing tends to make everyone late.
One bit of pre-packing both planners and procrastinators can do: As soon as you come home from the supermarket, have the kids portion out any shelf-stable lunch elements you buy, like pretzels or crackers or dried fruit. Thisâll work with just about any entry on the âGrains and Snacksâ section of the chart. Now youâve got one less thing to worry about come lunch-packing time.
